Eggless Dessert: French Crepe Recipe

This eggless crepe recipe requires less liquid than regular crepe batter, along with a bit of baking powder. You could serve them as is, or you could add your favorite filling. This time around I smothered the warm crêpe with butter, added a layer of apricot preserves, topped it with sweetened whipped cream and finished with fresh fruits.

Most French desserts contain eggs, but as I’ve mentioned in the past, one of my sisters-in-law is allergic to them. I’m always trying to find ways to make egg-free alternatives to please her sweet tooth. After many attempts, I’ve found that crêpes translate incredibly well without eggs, perhaps better than any other treat. Being able to watch her enjoying the dessert with a wide smile across her face makes it all worth it!

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9.2.10

Seafood Crab Salad Recipe

I bought 2 fresh crabs from the seafood market and was planning on making my favorite dish: tamarind crab. But as I was prepping the ingredients, we had surprise guests for lunch. So I improvised a crab salad with what we had available in the kitchen. All the extra ingredients and flavors in the salad help stretch the number of servings you can get out of 2 crabs, which is perfect when you’re entertaining.

To begin with, I boiled the crabs, removed the crab meat and drizzled it with lime juice. I added roasted green bell pepper, tomatoes, avocado and grilled eggplant. I served the crab salad with a flavorful wasabi-coconut salad dressing and toasted bread on the side.

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Barbecue Tips: Sweet Potatoes Cooked in the Coals

Our summer season has been filled with pool parties and a lot of barbecues. Grilling vegetables and meat is usually what makes the meals, but who doesn’t love all the yummy side dishes as well? If you’re looking to make something besides potato or pasta salad, here’s a delicious and not so ordinary suggestion: baked sweet potatoes, cooked in the coals or in ashes. Sweet potatoes are so much healthier than regular potatoes and the kids love to scoop the smooth and velvety sweetness. Read More...

Asian-Style Strawberry Napoleon Recipe (Mille-feuille Fraise Noix de Coco Dessert)

Mille-feuille, called "Napoleon" in the U.S., is a very popular French dessert. Traditionally [according to Wikipedia], a mille-feuille is made up of three layers of puff pastry, alternating with two layers of cream pâtissière, but sometimes whipped cream or jam. The top is usually glazed with icing or fondant in alternating white (icing) and brown (chocolate) strips, and combed.

I’ve made traditional mille-feuilles many times before, and I was in the mood for a change. I assembled a gluten-free version using layers of Vietnamese coconut paper called bánh phông sữa. They are paper-thin sheets made of coconut milk, sugar, cassava and condensed milk. I flavored the dessert with fresh strawberries and a coulis de fraise, which is a strawberry sauce. This dessert is bake-free and so easy to create, that I had the girls do the assembly. They had so much fun putting them together and even more making them disappear!

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Asparagus Chicken Stir Fry Recipe (Black Bean Sauce Chicken)

I receive many questions and recipe suggestions from readers. It might take a while for me to respond but I want you to know that I read every single one of them and they always fill me with joy. So here's Bill's (a regular reader) recipe for asparagus chicken. I didn’t make many changes; I just added a few more bold and spicy flavors to counteract the blandness of chicken. Specifically, I used black bean garlic sauce and red chiles, in keeping with the Asian theme of the dish.

The key to making sure this dish turns out well is not to overcook the asparagus. I chose to use baby asparagus in this dish but regardless, it should be bright green and still have some crunch . The texture, if cooked properly, is wonderful, and baby asparagus is visually appealing to boot.

For a little background, here's what Bill wrote about the dish:

"I got this recipe a very long time ago while taking a cooking class at “Isle of Skye Kitchen” in Saratoga [California], a combo antique store and vendor of exotic spices ... long gone. It has been a family favorite for years. Here it is with some personal experience updates."

Thanks Bill!

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